Nozaki–Bekki solitons in semiconductor lasers

Nikola Opačak (), Dmitry Kazakov, Lorenzo L. Columbo, Maximilian Beiser, Theodore P. Letsou, Florian Pilat, Massimo Brambilla, Franco Prati, Marco Piccardo, Federico Capasso and Benedikt Schwarz ()
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Nikola Opačak: TU Wien
Dmitry Kazakov: Harvard University
Lorenzo L. Columbo: Politecnico di Torino
Maximilian Beiser: TU Wien
Theodore P. Letsou: Harvard University
Florian Pilat: TU Wien
Massimo Brambilla: Università e Politecnico di Bari
Franco Prati: Università dell’Insubria
Marco Piccardo: Harvard University
Federico Capasso: Harvard University
Benedikt Schwarz: TU Wien

Nature, 2024, vol. 625, issue 7996, 685-690

Abstract: Abstract Optical frequency-comb sources, which emit perfectly periodic and coherent waveforms of light1, have recently rapidly progressed towards chip-scale integrated solutions. Among them, two classes are particularly significant—semiconductor Fabry–Perót lasers2–6 and passive ring Kerr microresonators7–9. Here we merge the two technologies in a ring semiconductor laser10,11 and demonstrate a paradigm for the formation of free-running solitons, called Nozaki–Bekki solitons. These dissipative waveforms emerge in a family of travelling localized dark pulses, known within the complex Ginzburg–Landau equation12–14. We show that Nozaki–Bekki solitons are structurally stable in a ring laser and form spontaneously with tuning of the laser bias, eliminating the need for an external optical pump. By combining conclusive experimental findings and a complementary elaborate theoretical model, we reveal the salient characteristics of these solitons and provide guidelines for their generation. Beyond the fundamental soliton circulating inside the ring laser, we demonstrate multisoliton states as well, verifying their localized nature and offering an insight into formation of soliton crystals15. Our results consolidate a monolithic electrically driven platform for direct soliton generation and open the door for a research field at the junction of laser multimode dynamics and Kerr parametric processes.

Date: 2024
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-023-06915-7

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